Lifestyle changes have contributed to health concerns worldwide. Continuous monitoring of an individual's body parameters, including, but not limited to, vital signs and blood data, is important to prevent health issues arising due to lifestyle changes. Various devices have been introduced that provide monitoring services to a user. These include glucometers, cardio-monitoring devices, fitness trackers etc. As a result of the body parameter data received, a drug or a therapeutic agent may be administered to a patient and or individual. For the purposes of clarity, the terms patient and individual are synonymous as are the terms drug and therapeutic agent and may be used interchangeably.
Drug delivery devices are used for the delivery of a drug or therapeutic agent to a patient. Certain drugs are traditionally administered into the bloodstream of a patient by piercing the skin of a patient using a syringe or through the use of a pump which is often worn on the body of an individual.
Examples of prevalent medical issues include diabetes. Patients suffering from diabetes are generally required to regularly monitor and manage their blood glucose levels. Various glucose meters are well known in the medical industry to measure and monitor one's blood glucose levels. Typically, a pricking needle or a lancet is used to prick the skin of a patient. A droplet of blood is placed onto a sensor strip that is placed in an analyte sensing device. A chemical reaction occurs in the sensor strip and data, i.e., blood glucose level, is generated, which is then displayed on the measuring device indicating the blood glucose level of the user. Moreover, in some glucose measuring devices, the data can also be sent to other devices, such as a computer or a cell phone. Such invasive monitoring techniques may be inconvenient to patients. Further, insulin is to be injected if the glucose levels are not to an optimum level. Typically, insulin is injected through an invasive method, such as a syringe mechanism. In other instances, insulin is administered through the use of a pump which is often worn by an individual twenty-four (24) hours a day to ensure adequate dosing.
Invasive methods of administering a drug can be cumbersome and may require some expertise on the part of the user. In some cases, patients may have to visit a medical facility to take insulin shots from a professional medical practitioner.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that provides non-invasive monitoring and drug delivery.